New York City (TDI): The members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), except the United States, said that the famine in the Gaza Strip is a “man-made crisis.” They added that the blatant use of starvation as a tool of war is prohibited under international humanitarian law.
In a joint statement that came out on Wednesday, the 14 members of the UNSC called for an immediate, permanent, and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.
They also urged Hamas and Israel to release all hostages, resume humanitarian efforts, and for Israel to immediately and unconditionally lift all restrictions on the delivery of aid in the Gaza Strip.
“Famine in Gaza must be stopped immediately, … Time is of the essence. The humanitarian emergency must be addressed without any delay, and Israel must reverse course,” the statement read.
Earlier, on Friday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system said that Gaza City and its surrounding areas are experiencing famine, and the situation is likely to worsen.
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It further said that 514,000 people, which is nearly a quarter of Palestinians residing in Gaza, are currently experiencing famine. The number is likely to go up to 641,000 people by the end of September.
On Wednesday, the Israeli authorities asked the global hunger monitor to retract its report, calling the findings fake and biased as it did not take into account the recent influx of food.
The government of Israel also accused IPC of publishing the survey based on partial findings that it received from Hamas.
On the other hand, during the UNSC meeting, the acting US Ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, questioned the integrity and the credibility of the IPC report, saying the report “doesn’t pass the test on either.”
She further stated, “We all recognize that hunger is a real issue in Gaza and that there are significant humanitarian needs which must be met. Addressing the needs is a priority for the United States,” she said.
Read More: UN Officially Declares Famine in Gaza, Caused by Israel
Trump Holds Gaza Policy Meeting to Discuss Post-War Plans
The US President, Donald Trump, presided over a Gaza policy meeting on Wednesday to discuss the post-war plans for the Gaza Strip and Palestinian territories.
The former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, and the former Trump Middle East envoy, Jared Kushner, also participated in the meeting.
During the meeting, the participants discussed the hostage crisis in Gaza, the humanitarian and food crisis, and the post-war plans for the city. The US officials called the meeting as “simply a policy meeting.”
It is important to note that Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of Britain during the 2003 Iraq war and had faced severe global criticism over his support of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) claims.
Javaria Khalid is a writer and researcher, who specializes in Pakistan's Foreign Policy Analysis, transatlantic geopolitics, and Pakistan’s relations with the European countries and the EU. She can be reached at javariakhalid011@outlook.com
